Hay fork



Dec.. 28, H937.. A. C. JOHNSON 2,103,370 l HAY FORK Filed Feb. 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 5

IMVENTOR NVENTOR FIG. B

FIG-7 Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED STATESv PATENT oFFlcE Albert VC. Johnson, Fairfield, Iowa, 'assigner to The Louden Machinery Company, Fairfield,

Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Y Y Application February 19, 1936, Serial No. 64,718

` Y 11 Claims. I 21.1My invention relates toV improvements Vin hay forks and` has particular relation to that type ofliorkpused for conveying hay from the load into the barn. `The tines of the fork are placed in the hay on the load and the fork is then raised i by. means off tackle to a carrier which moves alongva trackway into the barn Where the fork is 4tripped and the hay'is released and falls in the hay mow. ,V

@The objects of the invention are to providea fork wherein the'ends of the fork tines will be dnawn4 in toward the center ofthe load as the 1oad1is raised, thereby `binding the hay together; to provide a fork, the tines of which may be ',placed in any position in the hay from horizontal toperpendicular so thatrthe size of the load-may be regulated; to provide a fork Whereinthe tines canfbe` placed directly toward the center ofthe load withoutbeing deflected'and turned to the load in pairs so that two tines can beeasilyhandled at a time and set in position. ff :F.urtherr-ohjectsand advantages 0f the invention wil'lgappear. from avconsiderationof the following description in conjunction withV the accompanying drawings inwhichy sa, `:,Fi'g. is a frontview of thefork in the position when 4suspended without a load.

Fig., 2 isv a perspective view of the Vwork in .thegposition before4 the fork tines are inserted inf; the: load.

@Eigf is a front view inthe position after themarshas been released. f, apfligsxiand 5 .are vdetailed. views ofthe tine Vrioni'iection which will be referred to herein.

Fig. 6 is a front view of .the fork head, a por-V Qtion, .ofthe Vsame being Vbroken away.

LgFigzy 1 1 isa,` detailed*` view of the connecting vyoke.,

.ofa rivet-,11515155 is a side view'and Fig. lV

ris; a.; Afront view showing this connection. A clevis'ufl, is attached to the hinge `members I4 'I5 by'meansof a rivet I9, and one end of a 55 `ohainflfil;is `secured to the clevs and the oppoto. provide a fork wherein'thetines can be `re-V a perspective of the hinge connection site end to a swivel 2|, which is carried by a yoke 22. Eachpair of tines is connected to the swivel in the manner :recited and is individually supported therefrom. Y The yoke 22-is preferably -made of two castings secured Vtogether by means of rivets 23 and each casting is recessed inthe lower part, which forms an opening when the castings are fastened together. VV'I'he'swivel 2l is placed in the opening and the swivel head 24 thereof is'seated on that part of the castings surrounding theY upper part of the opening. A spacing member 25 is placed Yonthe rivetv 23 inthe upper part of the yoke and` it is adapted to register with a latch member in the fork head, as will be later,` referred to. The ends of the yoke are ared'outwardly and each end is. pro-vided with an eye 26. The VVyoke cooperates with a fork .head by means of which the tines are operated. The hoisting mechanismen tackle, is not shown in the drawings as it is in general use and is well known in the art. Any suitable type of a fork head may be used with my invention and I .employ a head, as is shown in Fig. 6. 'I'he head is composed of two castings 21 and 28 fastened together with rivets 29 and an opening Y30 is formed in the upper portion thereof, through which a hook connected tov the hoistngtackle may be inserted,'the hook and tackle not being shown. j The fork head is provided with two arms V30 3.0 and 3l, and Yat the end of each a suspension member 32 is riveted.` The central section of the castingw21 is extended outwardly to accommodate the latchingrmechanism, and a recess V33 is provided in the lower part thereof to receive the member 25 on the yoke. Fig. 9 is a sid-e view of the .latching mechanism viewing it from the right side of Fig. 6, and Fig. l0 is a Asectional view of the same, the casting 28 being removed.v V Y 40 A bifurcated latch 34 is pivotally mounted ber-L tween the castings 21 land 28, which, when in locked position, engages the spacing member 25 and thereby holds the yoke 22 in engagement with the fork head, and when the latch is're- 45 leased, permits the `yoke to become disengagedT from the latch. The latch is controlled by means of a trip member 35 slidably mounted in the castings' 21 and t28 and a block 3B is`V carried on vthe lower end thereof. A coiledspring 31 bears V50 against the bottom of the block 36 and when rthe J latch is in locked position tends to force the trip member upwardly so that the block will engage the latch 34 and hold it inlocked position, as is shown in Fig. 10.

gethen The upper part of the trip has secured thereon two pulleys 38 (Fig. 9) over which trip ropes 39 are passed, one end of the ropes being secured in the eyes 26 on the rope 22 and the opposite ends to a single rope 40. With this construction the yoke 22 can be drawn by the trip ropes to the fork head and the spacing member will bear against one branch'of the, latch, causing the latchwto pivot away from the trip member and permit the spacing member to register in the recess 33. away from the trip 35, the spring 31 forces the trip member and the block 35 upwardly, so that the block will engage the side of one of the branches of the latch 34 and Vhold Iit in locked position as is shown in Fig'. 10. To release the latch, the trip rope is pulled, which forces the trip member and block 36 downwardly and when the block has cleared the side of the branch of the latch, the weight of the yoke will cause the latch to pivot ltoward the trip member, thereby releasing the yoke from the latch.

Each tine is provided with a dumping chain 4l, which is connected atone end to a clevis 42, fastened on the tine intermediate the ends thereof and at the opposite end to the suspension member 32. When the load is to be discharged, the yoke is released from the head and the weight of the load will cause the tines to assume the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the load will slide oi from the tines.

In use, the fork tines are lowered onto the load in the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein the tines lie flat together in pairs. As the tines contact the load, they are usually placed in position shown in Fig. 2- of the drawings. The tines being hinged together and also hinged to the hinge members permits the operator to insert the tines in each pair into the load, either together or -singly and from horizontal position to vertical position, according to the load the operator desires to 'move, This construction permits the operator tov set'the tines in the load in a variety of positions and in this manner the size of the load can be'regulated which is not possible with the so-called grapplel forks wherein several tines are Arigidly secured to- Moreover, the tines are hingedly connected and each tine when inserted in the load will move toward the center of theY same and cannot be diverted from its course, thereby better insuring the load being held as it is'k moved. When a loose tine fork is usedthe tine -is inserted in the hay and quite frequently the pointed end is deflected away from the course toward the center of the load and' as the load isv raised, there is no control over the pointed end. With my invention, as theload is raised, the pull exerted on the hinged member tends to draw the tines together and to move the pointed ends of the tines in toward the center of the load, binding the load so that it cannot fall away from the tines until they are released. The load is then conveyed to the place where it is to be dumped and the trip rope is pulled, disengaging the yoke from the fork head and thereby discharging the load as has been herein explained, the tines being in the position shown in Fig. 3. 'I'he yoke is then connected with the fork head by pulling the trip rope and the fork is then returned for another load. It will be readily apparent to those familiar with the art that an operator standing on the load can easily and quickly set the tines in the 'load Without resorting to the As the latch is moved. .l

effort required when a number of tines are rigidly joined together.

Modifications Will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be ylimited only to the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hay fork comprising a head, a plurality of individually supported pairs of tines, the tines of yeach pair being hinged with respect to each other, and constrained to move about a definite axis, means connecting the hinged ends of the tines to the head, said means being releasably vsecured to the head, and means connecting the tines intermediate their length to the head to support the tines when the liirst mentioned means are released 'from the head.

2. A hay fork comprising a head, a plurality of individually supported pairs of tines, a hinge member connecting the tines in each pair, said tines being hinged to the hinge member, means connecting the hinge member to the head, said means being releasably secured to the head and means connecting the tines intermediate their length to the head to support the tines when the first mentioned means are released from the head, each of said hinge members comprising a pair of hinged portions pivoted together and constrained in their movement With respect to each other to move about a definite axis.

3. A hay fork comprising a head, a plurality of individually supported pairs of tines, a hinge member connecting the tines in each pair, one at least of said tines being hinged to the hinge member, means'connecting the hinge member to the head, said means being releasably secured to the head and means connecting the tines intermediate their length to the head to support the tines whenfthe first mentioned means are released from the head, each of said hinge members comprising a pair of hinged portions pivoted together and constrained in their movement with respect to each other to move about a definite axis Y 4. A hay fork'comprising a head having a latch therein, a plurality Y of individually supported pairs of tines, the tines of each pair being hinged with respect to each other, and constrained to move about a definite axis, chains secured at one end to the hinged ends of the tines and releasably secured to said latch at the opposite end, and chains connecting the tines intermediate their length to thehead to support the tines when the first mentioned chains are released from the latch. I f

5. A hay fork comprising a heady having a latch therein, a plurality of individually supported pairs of tines, a hinge member connecting the tines in each pair, said tines being hinged to the hinge member, chains secured at one end lto the hinge endsv of the tines and releasably secured to said latch at the opposite end and chains connecting the tines intermediate their length to the head to support the tines when the first 265 mentioned chains are released from the latch each of said hinge members comprising a pair of hinged portions pivoted together and constrained in their movement with respect to each other to move about adenite axis. f l

6. A hay fork comprising a head having a latch therein, a plurality of individually supported pairs of tines, a hinge member connecting the tines in each pair, one at least of said tines being hinged to the hinge member, chains se- 575 cured at one end of the hinged ends of the tines and releasably secured to said latch at the opposite end and chains connecting the tines intermediate their length to theV head toV support the tines when the first mentioned chains are released from the latch each of said hinge members comprising apair of hinged portions pivoted together and constrained in their movement with respect to each other to move about a definite axis. Y

'7.A hay fork comprisingl a head havingva latch therein, a plurality of individually supported pairs of tines, the tines of each pair beingV hinged with respect to each other, and -constrained to move about a definiteV axis, a yoke, a chain connecting each pair of Vtines to the yoke,

` said yoke cooperating with the latch and adapted "to engage with and be released therefrom and chains connecting the tines intermediate their length to the head to support the tines when the yokeis released from the latch.

8. A hay fork comprising a head having a latch therein, a plurality of individually supported pairs of tines, a. hinge member connecting the tines in each pair, said tines being hinged to the hinge member, a yoke, a chain connecting each pair of tines to the yoke, said yoke cooperating with the latch and adapted to engage With and be `,released therefrom and chains connecting the tines intermediate their length to the headtoV support the tines when the yoke is released from the latch, each of said hinge members comprising a pair of hinged portions pivoted together and constrained in their movement with respect to each other to move about a definite axis.

9. A hay fork comprising a head havinga latch therein, a plurality of individually supported pairs of tines, a hinge member connectingV the tines in each pair, one at least of said tines be- Y Vof individually supported groups of tines, the

tines of each group being hinged with respect to each other and constrained to move about a denite axis, means connecting the hinged ends of the tines to the head, said means being releasably secured to the head,rand means connecting the tines Yintermediate their length toy the head to support the tines Vwhen the i'lrst mentioned means are released from the head.

11. A hay fork comprising a head, a plurality of groups of tines, means hingedly connectingI at least one tine of each group with another tine of this group, suspension members secured Y l at their ends to the hinged endsof the tines and releasably secured to the head, and suspension means connecting the tines intermediate their lengths to the head to support the tines VWhen the releasable suspension members are released, each of said hinges comprising apair of hinge portions pivoted together and `constrained in their movement with respect to each other to move about a denite axis.

- ALBERT C. JOHNSON. 

